Plot Devices: New Discoveries (Mulberries)

Not every story plot has to begin with a tragedy. An inciting incident can be as simple as a character making a new discovery in a place they thought they knew well. What they do with that discovery can kickstart their journey.

In my case, I discovered a new fruit tree at my local park—a park I have visited at least twice a week for the past seven years. Though this tree has been there longer than I've lived in the area, finding it with ripe fruit on its stretching branches amazed me.

And, for the first time, I tried mulberries. They're like a juicy and pleasing cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. Some were oblong, and some were odd cluster shapes resembling hearts. All were delicious. I may have picked them up off the ground like some foraging cavewoman...

While this discovery didn't kickstart a new life journey for me, I do plan to watch for the berries in late Spring again next year. As for story plots, how about coming up with several "novel" ideas revolving around these plump berries? The more relatable and creative they are, the more potential they have to catch a reader's attention. Never be afraid to go wild with ideas in the brainstorming phase. The zaniest one could become the next classic. Here goes!

- A little girl discovers the berries and takes some home to her ailing grandmother. The flavor helps her grandmother relive memories of southern summers and kickstarts a slow healing process between her and her bitter daughter.

- The scent of the berries lures deer to the park's mulberry tree at the first light of dawn. A local teenager learns of this and steals their father's gun. The teen shoots a deer, but a local patrol officer catches them. Teen goes to a detention center where they meet their identical twin they didn't know existed.

- A lonely, severely introverted woman finds the tree in bloom and gathers as many as she can to take to a nearby food pantry. There, she meets a homeless family which is so grateful, they break down in tears. The woman starts to wonder if she could open her home to them until they get back on their feet.

- A baker who's on the verge of a divorce discovers the tree and remembers his wife saying how much she loves mulberries—way back on their first date. He puts all his love into baking her a mulberry pie, and she comes home to find it hot on the counter. Does she reevaluate her relationship or shove the pie in his face?

- Kids discover the mulberries and have a munch-and-smear-the-juice fight. When one child comes back to their mom, dark juice staining their designer clothes, mom loses her cool. Does mom discover latent anger issues, or is this when she starts letting go of her materialistic mindset and put her family first?

So many fun possibilities in all of those plots! Playing with the genres adds a different spin to each one. The plot with the teen shooting the deer sounds like drama, but it could be a comedy. Twist the ailing grandmother around with dark memories instead of heartwarming ones, and it could be a thriller/suspense.

These endless possibilities are what keep me writing. Once my imagination goes, I like to let it run. It has taken me places I never would have gone before, made me wonder about crazy, unexplored scenarios. One developed thought, carefully plotted out, could be a literary agent's next favorite book. As long as the passion exists, let the creativity fly.

Keep on smilin'!